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  1. Mustafa MN, Shafie S, Wahid MH, Sulaiman Y
    Sci Rep, 2019 Oct 18;9(1):14952.
    PMID: 31628399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50292-z
    In the present work, polyvinyl-alcohol/titanium dioxide (PVA/TiO2) nanofibers are utilized as a light scattering layer (LSL) on top of the TiO2 nanoparticles photoanode. The TiO2 nanoparticles decorated PVA/TiO2 nanofibers display a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.06%, which is 33% higher than TiO2 nanoparticles without LSL, demonstrating the incorporation of PVA/TiO2 nanofibers as LSL reduces the radiation loss and increases the excitation of the electron that leads to high PCE. The incorporation of PVA/TiO2 nanofibers as LSL also increases the electron life time and charge collection efficiency in comparison to the TiO2 nanoparticles without LSL.
  2. M Selveindran N, Syed Zakaria SZ, Jalaludin MY, Rasat R
    Int J Endocrinol, 2017;2017:5987490.
    PMID: 28717365 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5987490
    The aim of this study is to determine the behavioural problems of children with 46XY disorders of sex development (DSD) with genital ambiguity and to identify the risk factors that may influence behaviour. The 27 participants (aged 6-18 years) consisted of 21 patients raised as boys and 6 patients raised as girls. Control data were obtained from a representative sibling of each patient who was matched for age and gender. The study tool used was the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), which is a parent-administered questionnaire. The analysis of the behavioural scores revealed that the patient group had poorer scores in the total, externalizing, and internalizing realms. This group also had poorer scores in the anxious-depressed, social, and rule-breaking realms as compared to the control group. In addition, the XY-F group had higher scores (more pathological) than the XY-M group, although the difference in the scores was not statistically significant. A comparison of the prevalence of patients with scores in the clinical range with that of the control group was not statistically significant. These findings support the current recommendations that psychological counselling should be an integral part of the professional support offered to patients with DSD.
  3. Ramli FF, Azizi MH, Syed Hashim SA
    Int J Med Sci, 2021;18(11):2372-2380.
    PMID: 33967614 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.57641
    Sexual dysfunction is a common condition in the opioid substitution therapy (OST) population. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of treatment for sexual dysfunction in the OST population. We searched for interventional studies from Medline, PubMed, and Scopus. Three independent authors conducted a risk-of-bias assessment (RoB 2). A total of seven studies (five randomized-controlled trials, two quasi-experimental), including 473 patients with sexual dysfunction, were identified. Among these, three bupropion (n=207), one trazodone (n=75), two rosa Damascena (n=100), and one ginseng (n=91) studies had reported significantly improve various sexual functioning domains in both genders. In a meta-analysis, bupropion significantly increased male sexual function with standardized mean difference of 0.53; 95% confidence interval of 0.19-0.88; P < 0.01; I2=0. The adverse effects were minor for all agents, and no significant difference between treatment and placebo groups in randomized-controlled trials. These agents have a promising future as therapy for sexual dysfunction in the OST population. However, given the limited sample size and number of studies, further studies should be conducted to confirm the use of these agents.
  4. Johani FH, Majid MSA, Azme MH, Nawi AM
    Tob Induc Dis, 2020;18:50.
    PMID: 32547353 DOI: 10.18332/tid/122465
    INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer death. Smoking is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) is responsible for the metabolic activation of most tobacco carcinogens. CYP2A6 genetic polymorphism can cause variations in the human metabolism of xenobiotics. We performed this meta-analysis to determine the association between whole-gene CYP2A6 deletion polymorphism (CYP2A6*4) and lung cancer risk.

    METHODS: The PubMed, SAGE, Science Direct, the Cochrane Library and Ovid databases were searched for observational studies before October 2018. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS).

    RESULTS: Nine case-control studies involving 4385 lung cancer cases and 4142 controls were included in the analysis. The random-effects model was used to combine results from individual studies. The pooled odds ratio was 0.39 (95% CI: 0.27-0.56). There was no heterogeneity across studies (χ2=2.49, p=0.96, I2=0%).

    CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence from the case-control studies suggests that the CYP2A6 whole-gene deletion polymorphism decreases the risk of lung cancer. Further research is needed to identify any potential confounding factors that may impact this association.

  5. Xue X, Rafiq M, Meng F, Peerzadah SA
    Work, 2023;76(3):991-1005.
    PMID: 37355920 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220240
    BACKGROUND: Since the previous decade, researchers and academics have paid close attention to studying job embeddedness (JE), but the bibliometric examination of JE has not yet been explored.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide general information on the trends of the studies on JE as well as an overall perspective on the development of this topic by utilising a bibliometric analytic approach.

    METHOD: A bibliometric evaluation was conducted in the JE field since the first publication was documented in the Scopus database. The information retrieved examines 1572 JE papers from a variety of perspectives, including citation and publishing metrics.

    RESULTS: The research results pinpoint the most productive countries, universities, journals, authors, and JE articles. The study also classified the most important themes and offered some recommendations for further research.

    CONCLUSION: The study provided a snapshot of JE patterns and trajectories from 1993 to 2020, which can help academics and practitioners figure out the pattern and direction of future research. To the best of our knowledge, no other study examines the bibliographic data on JE and thus this work is one of the first contributions to the literature.

  6. Khan ZUR, Assad N, Naeem-Ul-Hassan M, Sher M, Alatawi FS, Alatawi MS, et al.
    BMC Chem, 2023 Sep 28;17(1):128.
    PMID: 37770921 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-023-01047-5
    In this study, a polar extract of Aconitum lycoctonum L. was used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), followed by their characterization using different techniques and evaluation of their potential as antioxidants, amylase inhibitors, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents. The formation of AgNPs was detected by a color change, from transparent to dark brown, within 15 min and a surface resonance peak at 460 nm in the UV-visible spectrum. The FTIR spectra confirmed the involvement of various biomolecules in the synthesis of AgNPs. The average diameter of these spherical AgNPs was 67 nm, as shown by the scanning electron micrograph. The inhibition zones showed that the synthesized nanoparticles inhibited the growth of Gram-positive and negative bacteria. FRAP and DPPH assays were used to demonstrate the antioxidant potential of AgNPs. The highest value of FRAP (50.47% AAE/mL) was detected at a concentration of 90 ppm and a DPPH scavenging activity of 69.63% GAE was detected at a concentration of 20 µg/mL of the synthesized AgNPs. 500 µg/mL of the synthesized AgNPs were quite efficient in causing 91.78% denaturation of ovalbumin. The AgNPs mediated by A. lycoctonum also showed an inhibitory effect on α-amylase. Therefore, AgNPs synthesized from A. lycoctonum may serve as potential candidates for antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic agents.
  7. Arwanda MD, Haryuna TS, Adriztina I, Khalid K
    Iran J Otorhinolaryngol, 2023 Jul;35(129):189-197.
    PMID: 37497164 DOI: 10.22038/IJORL.2023.71786.3452
    INTRODUCTION: This study, assess the efficacy of curcumin therapy in preventing/improving cochlear damage in Rattus norvegicus ototoxic model as evaluated with OAE examination.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study utilized 27 rats which had been injected with single dose 8mg/KgBB of cisplatin, and then divided into 3 groups. The first group was not given curcumin. The second group received curcumin at a dose of 150 mg/KgBB. The third group received curcumin at a dose of 300 mg/KgBB. Curcumin was given from the time of single dose cisplatin injection (day 0) to day 7. OAE examination was performed on the day before the single dose of cisplatin (day 0), day 3, 4 and 7 after curcumin administration.

    RESULTS: There was a decline in the average value of SNR in all groups starting from high frequency. However, in the rat groups receiving curcumin there was a slow decrease in the SNR value, which also obtained statistically significant differences in the SNR values of all groups.

    CONCLUSION: Administration of certain doses of curcumin may reduce the modest and statistically insignificant decrease in mean SNR values indicating a reduction in ototoxicity from cisplatin.

  8. Ben-Hander GM, Makahleh A, Saad B, Saleh MI
    PMID: 24200841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2013.10.007
    A three phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction with in situ derivatization (in situ HF-LPME) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) method was developed for the trace determination of metformin hydrochloride (MH) in biological fluids. A new derivatization agent pentafluorobenzoyl chloride (PFBC) was used. Several parameters that affect the derivatization and extraction efficiency were studied and optimized (i.e., type of organic solvent, volume of NaOH (4M) and derivatization agent in the donor phase, acceptor phase (HCl) concentration, stirring speed, temperature, time and salt addition). Under the optimum conditions (organic solvent, dihexyl ether; volume of NaOH (4M) and derivatization agent (10mg PFBC in 1mL acetonitrile) in the donor phase, 600 and100μL, respectively; acceptor phase, 100mM HCl (10μL); stirring speed, 300rpm; extraction time, 30min; derivatization temperature, 70°C; without addition of salt) an enrichment factor of 210-fold was achieved. Good linearity was observed over the range of 1-1000ngmL(-1) (r(2)=0.9998). The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.56 and 1.68ngmL(-1), respectively. The proposed method has been applied for the determination of MH in biological fluids (plasma and urine) and water samples. Prior to the microextraction treatment of plasma samples, deproteinization step using acetonitrile was conducted. The proposed method is simple, rapid, sensitive and suitable for the determination of MH in a variety of samples.
  9. Rasi RZ, Ismail H, Shahbaz MS, Kaliani Sundram VP
    Heliyon, 2023 Apr;9(4):e15225.
    PMID: 37089391 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15225
    As the circular supply chain (CSC) gains traction in literature and practice, some academic groups are developing new fields that proceed from the CSC as a precisely technical concept. In order to examine the trends of CSC over time, to define how previous researchers have conceptualized the CSC ideology, and to identify the barriers to CSC adoption in businesses operations. This systematic review of the literature (n = 55) examines and discusses the disparate body of knowledge on supply chains (SCs). The paper claims that there are still differences across the circular economy (CE) definitions because of alleged antecedents and scopes, which has led to several research streams. However, CSC's goal remained the same: to encourage sustainable strategies that rejected the traditional linear paradigm that had harmed the environment. In order to be included in future practices and approaches, eight significant, interdisciplinary issues were discovered using SLR, along with the corresponding sub-challenges. These difficulties were discussed in this paper. Aiming to address the current concerns about balancing the environmental and economic perspectives, this study will provide guidelines to future researchers to identify the challenges from a real-world point of view by taking into account the social, environmental, and economic perspectives altogether.
  10. Ab Kadir MA, Abdul Manaf R, Mokhtar SA, Ismail LI
    JMIR Res Protoc, 2023 May 15;12:e43712.
    PMID: 37184897 DOI: 10.2196/43712
    BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is considered a neglected zoonotic disease in temperate regions but an endemic disease in countries with tropical climates such as South America, Southern Asia, and Southeast Asia. There has been an increase in leptospirosis incidence in Malaysia from 1.45 to 25.94 cases per 100,000 population between 2005 and 2014. With increasing incidence in Selangor, Malaysia, and frequent climate change dynamics, a study on the disease hotspot areas and their association with the hydroclimatic factors would further enhance disease surveillance and public health interventions.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the association between the spatio-temporal distribution of leptospirosis hotspot areas from 2011 to 2019 with the hydroclimatic factors in Selangor using the geographical information system and remote sensing techniques to develop a leptospirosis hotspot predictive model.

    METHODS: This will be an ecological cross-sectional study with geographical information system and remote sensing mapping and analysis concerning leptospirosis using secondary data. Leptospirosis cases in Selangor from January 2011 to December 2019 shall be obtained from the Selangor State Health Department. Laboratory-confirmed cases with data on the possible source of infection would be identified and georeferenced according to their longitude and latitudes. Topographic data consisting of subdistrict boundaries and the distribution of rivers in Selangor will be obtained from the Department of Survey and Mapping. The ArcGIS Pro software will be used to evaluate the clustering of the cases and mapped using the Getis-Ord Gi* tool. The satellite images for rainfall and land surface temperature will be acquired from the Giovanni National Aeronautics and Space Administration EarthData website and processed to obtain the average monthly values in millimeters and degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the average monthly river hydrometric levels will be obtained from the Department of Drainage and Irrigation. Data are then inputted as thematic layers and in the ArcGIS software for further analysis. The artificial neural network analysis in artificial intelligence Phyton software will then be used to obtain the leptospirosis hotspot predictive model.

    RESULTS: This research was funded as of November 2022. Data collection, processing, and analysis commenced in December 2022, and the results of the study are expected to be published by the end of 2024. The leptospirosis distribution and clusters may be significantly associated with the hydroclimatic factors of rainfall, land surface temperature, and the river hydrometric level.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study will explore the associations of leptospirosis hotspot areas with the hydroclimatic factors in Selangor and subsequently the development of a leptospirosis predictive model. The constructed predictive model could potentially be used to design and enhance public health initiatives for disease prevention.

    INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/43712.

  11. Ng CT, Fong LY, Abdullah MNH
    Cytokine, 2023 Jun;166:156208.
    PMID: 37088004 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156208
    Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a critical role in mediating an array of immune responses including promotes antiviral activity, facilitates macrophage activation, controls Th1/Th2 balance, and regulates cellular apoptosis and proliferation. A few articles have previously reviewed the effects of IFN-γ in the regulation of barrier permeability, but none of these articles focuses on barrier function of endothelial cells. This review aims to discuss the regulatory mechanisms of IFN-γ on endothelial barrier function and its underlying signaling pathways. Articles were retrieved from electronic databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords "Interferon-gamma", "endothelial cells", "barrier function", and "signaling pathway". The articles published between 2000 and 2022 that are related to the aforementioned topics were selected. A few journals published beyond this period were also included due to limited information available. The results showed that IFN-γ modulates endothelial barrier function, mainly involves small GTPases, STAT1-dependent pathway, p38 MAPK and nitric oxide. In conclusion, more in depth cellular and molecular studies are needed to elucidate the pathways of IFN-γ in the regulation of endothelial barrier function.
  12. Tawalbeh M, Mohammed S, Al-Othman A, Yusuf M, Mofijur M, Kamyab H
    Environ Res, 2023 Jul 01;228:115919.
    PMID: 37072081 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115919
    The rapid increase in the global population and its ever-rising standards of living are imposing a huge burden on global resources. Apart from the rising energy needs, the demand for freshwater is correspondingly increasing. A population of around 3.8 billion people will face water scarcity by 2030, as per the reports of the World Water Council. This may be due to global climate change and the deficiency in the treatment of wastewater. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies fail to completely remove several emerging contaminants, especially those containing pharmaceutical compounds. Hence, leading to an increase in the concentration of harmful chemicals in the human food chain and the proliferation of several diseases. MXenes are transition metal carbide/nitride ceramics that primarily structure the leading 2D material group. MXenes act as novel nanomaterials for wastewater treatment due to their high surface area, excellent adsorption properties, and unique physicochemical properties, such as high electrical conductivity and hydrophilicity. MXenes are highly hydrophilic and covered with active functional groups (i.e., hydroxyl, oxygen, fluorine, etc.), which makes them efficient adsorbents for a wide range of species and promising candidates for environmental remediation and water treatment. This work concludes that the scaling up process of MXene-based materials for water treatment is currently of high cost. The up-to-date applications are still limited because MXenes are currently produced mainly in the laboratory with limited yield. It is recommended to direct research efforts towards lower synthesis cost procedures coupled with the use of more environmentally friendly materials to avoid secondary contamination.
  13. Ramli MI, Hamzaid NA, Engkasan JP, Usman J
    Biomed Eng Online, 2023 May 22;22(1):50.
    PMID: 37217941 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-023-01103-0
    BACKGROUND: Over the decades, many publications have established respiratory muscle training (RMT) as an effective way in improving respiratory dysfunction in multiple populations. The aim of the paper is to determine the trend of research and multidisciplinary collaboration in publications related to RMT over the last 6 decades. The authors also sought to chart the advancement of RMT among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) over the last 60 years.

    METHODS: Bibliometric analysis was made, including the publications' profiles, citation analysis and research trends of the relevant literature over the last 60 years. Publications from all time frames were retrieved from Scopus database. A subgroup analysis of publications pertinent to people with SCI was also made.

    RESULTS: Research on RMT has been steadily increasing over the last 6 decades and across geographical locations. While medicine continues to dominate the research on RMT, this topic also continues to attract researchers and publications from other areas such as engineering, computer science and social science over the last 10 years. Research collaboration between authors in different backgrounds was observed since 2006. Source titles from non-medical backgrounds have also published articles pertinent to RMT. Among people with SCI, researchers utilised a wide range of technology from simple spirometers to electromyography in both intervention and outcome measures. With various types of interventions implemented, RMT generally improves pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength among people with SCI.

    CONCLUSIONS: While research on RMT has been steadily increasing over the last 6 decades, more collaborations are encouraged in the future to produce more impactful and beneficial research on people who suffer from respiratory disorders.

  14. Salman M, Mallhi TH, Khan YH, Mustafa ZU, Khan MT, Khan FU, et al.
    Hum Vaccin Immunother, 2023 Aug 01;19(2):2225990.
    PMID: 37350298 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2225990
    Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is not a new phenomenon in Pakistan and is regarded as one of the primary causes of unsatisfactory vaccination campaigns. This study determined post-vaccination COVID-19 VH, factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake, and public's intent to receive booster vaccinations. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult population of Lahore, Pakistan. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling between March and May 2022. SPSS version 22 was used for the data analysis. A total of 650 participants were included in the study (age = 28.1 ± 9.7 years; male-to-female ratio nearly 1: 1). The majority of participants received Sinopharm followed by Sinovac vaccine. The top three reasons of vaccine uptake were "only vaccinated individuals are allowed at the workplace, and educational institutes" (Relative importance index (RII) = 0.749), "only vaccinated people are allowed to go to markets, malls and other public places" (RII = 0.746), and "protect myself from the infection" (RII = 0.742). The mean COVID-19 VH score was 24.5 ± 6.2 (95% CI 23.9-24.9), with not being pro-vaccines and poor economic status were the significant predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among immunized individuals (p 
  15. Muhayudin NA, Basaruddin KS, Ijaz MF, Daud R
    Materials (Basel), 2023 Jun 21;16(13).
    PMID: 37444827 DOI: 10.3390/ma16134514
    Studies on paediatric spines commonly use human adult or immature porcine spines as specimens, because it is difficult to obtain actual paediatric specimens. There are quite obvious differences, such as geometry, size, bone morphology, and orientation of facet joint for these specimens, compared to paediatric spine. Hence, development of synthetic models that can behave similarly to actual paediatric spines, particularly in term of range of motion (ROM), could provide a significant contribution for paediatric spine research. This study aims to develop a synthetic paediatric spine using finite element modelling and evaluate the reliability of the model by comparing it with the experimental data under certain load conditions. The ROM of the paediatric spine was measured using a validated FE model at ±0.5 Nm moment in order to determine the moment required by the synthetic spine to achieve the same ROM. The results showed that the synthetic spine required two moments, ±2 Nm for lateral-bending and axial rotation, and ±3 Nm for flexion-extension, to obtain the paediatric ROM. The synthetic spine was shown to be stiffer in flexion-extension but more flexible in lateral bending than the paediatric FE model, possibly as a result of the intervertebral disc's simplified shape and the disc's weak bonding with the vertebrae. Nevertheless, the synthetic paediatric spine has promising potential in the future as an alternative paediatric spine model for biomechanical investigation of paediatric cases.
  16. Ishaqui AA, Khan AH, Sulaiman SA, Alsultan M, Khan I
    Saudi Med J, 2020 Sep;41(9):1015-1021.
    PMID: 32893285 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2020.9.25249
    OBJECTIVES: To assess the comparative efficacy of oseltamivir alone and oseltamivir-antibiotic therapy for early relief of symptoms associated with severe influenza-A (non-H1N1) and influenza-B infection hospitalized patients.

    METHODS: In this retrospective multicenter study conducted from 2016-2019, enrolled patients were divided into 2 treatment groups. Group 1 patients were started on Antiviral drug (oseltamivir) alone therapy. Group 2 patients were initiated on Antiviral drug (oseltamivir) in combination with Antibiotic therapy. Using acute respiratory illness scoring, symptom severity score was assessed daily for 8 symptoms namely, fever, fatigue, headache, cough, sore throat, wheezing, muscle ache and nasal congestion. For each symptom the severity was scored from scale 0-3. Results: Overall mean ARI severity score was statistically significantly lower (p less than 0.05) on day 2 (14.65-vs-13.68), day 3 (12.95-vs-11.67) and day 4 (10.31-vs-9.12 ) for influenza-A (non-H1N1) while day 3 (12.52-vs-11.87) and day 4 (11.21-vs-10.18) for influenza-B patients for patients who were initiated on oseltamivir-antibiotic combination therapy. Fever, cough and nasal congestion showed statistically significant improvement within 4 days of initiation of combination treatment. Fatigue, sore throat and muscle ache improvement pattern was same for both treatment protocols.

    CONCLUSION: Oseltamivir-antibiotic combination treatment showed early resolution of some symptoms with cumulatively reduced mean symptom severity score in severe influenza infection hospitalized patients.

  17. Shoukat MH, Selem KM, Elgammal I, Ramkissoon H, Amponsah M
    Acta Psychol (Amst), 2023 Aug;238:103962.
    PMID: 37356362 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103962
    Underpinned by integrating self-determination and source credibility theories (SCT), this paper investigates the focal roles of memorable local food experiences (MLX) and travel influencer endorsement (TIE) on revisit intention. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 513 TikTok influencers (individuals who frequently post videos on TikTok and have a large number of followers). A purposive sampling technique is used to collect data from TikTok influencers who create videos about food tourism in Pakistan. SmartPLS 4.4 was used with PLS-SEM. The empirical results suggest a positive and significant linkage of culinary memorable experience factors with MLX. The focal effects of MLX and TIE on revisit intention are significantly positive. Our findings further revealed that MLX partially mediated the linkage of culinary memorable experience factors with revisit intention, while TIE strengthened the positive relationship between MLX and revisit intention. The study's findings influence travel agents, local food providers, and marketing specialists who develop marketing strategies for local food tourism and online trip purchasing.
  18. Kunyahamu MS, Daud A, Tengku Ismail TA, Md Tahir MF
    Cureus, 2023 Jul;15(7):e41405.
    PMID: 37546078 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41405
    Background Mental health problems among the health workforce are a significant concern worldwide, including in Malaysia. Unfortunately, some health workforce may perceive various barriers or challenges that prevent them from seeking help. Identifying and addressing these barriers is crucial for enhancing mental health services and support. The Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE-3) questionnaire is a valuable tool that can be used for assessing these barriers among health workers. However, a validated Malay version is needed. Therefore, this study aims to translate, adapt, and validate the original version of Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE-3) into the Malay version (MBACE). Methods A rigorous process of translation and adaptation was followed to develop the Malay version of the BACE-3 questionnaire (MBACE). A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, with purposive sampling employed to recruit 188 participants from various job categories, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and non-clinical staff, such as health assistants and clerks. The analysis was conducted using the R software version 4.2.2 (R Foundation, Vienna, Austria). Construct validity was determined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). To assess the convergent validity, internal consistency, and reliability of the instrument, measures such as the average variance extracted (AVE), composite reliability (CR), and Cronbach's alpha values were calculated. Results During the CFA process, two items with a factor loading less than 0.5 (items 15 and 16) were removed to improve the convergent validity and model fit. The CFA results revealed that the 2-factor model MBACE had good construct validity (root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.053; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.939; Tucker-Lewis fit index (TLI) = 0.934). The internal consistency was supported by Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.92 to 0.94 for the stigma factor and non-stigma factor. The average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) values further supported the questionnaire's reliability and convergent validity. Conclusion The translated and adapted 28-item MBACE questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the barrier to seeking professional mental health care among the Malaysian health workforce. This instrument has the potential to aid in the development of targeted interventions to promote mental health help-seeking behavior and enhance the well-being of the Malaysian health workforce.
  19. Rajali A, Zain NM, Amran NA, Azmi NHEM
    Contemp Clin Dent, 2023;14(2):115-122.
    PMID: 37547440 DOI: 10.4103/ccd.ccd_654_21
    Tissue conditioner is used to condition inflamed mucosa induced by denture stomatitis. However, the drawback of the aging tissue conditioner is increased surface roughness, thus enhance microbial adhesion. Ocimum basilicum is known for its antimicrobial effects but its use in liners has not been investigated. Aims: This study aimed to determine the antifungal efficacy of ocimum basilicum essential oil (OBEO) when incorporated into tissue conditioner against C. albicans and the effect on the properties.

    SUBJECT AND METHODS: The antimicrobial activities were determined using disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). After incorporation into tissue conditioner, the color difference and surface roughness were evaluated after one day. The surface morphology and the antibiofilm activity were assessed on day 1 and day 14.

    RESULTS: The zone of inhibition of OBEO on Sabouraud Dextrose agar was significantly wider than nystatin and deionized water (P=0.000) with the MIC and MFC values were 1.25% and 5%. Both OBEO concentrations incorporated into tissue conditioner, there was no significant difference of color changes in the light-dark character (P=0.102) and surface roughness (P=0.920) when compared to the control group. As for adherence at days 1 and 14, both concentrations of OBEO in tissue conditioner show significantly reduced adherence of C. albicans compared to the control group (P=0.000).

    CONCLUSION: OBEO exhibited significantly better antifungal activity against C. albicans when compared to nystatin and deionized water and resulted in no significant color changes, better surface roughness and lesser adherence of C. albicans toward the tissue conditioner.

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